Boats arranged in this way are already known, in particular from documents FR 1 155 376, FR 2 510 064, FR 2 734 234, and FR 2 795 040.
The well known advantage of inflatable keel-forming spacers compared with rigid keel-forming spacers, e.g. keel-forming spacers that are made of wood, lies in their light weight, and in the ease with which the boat as deflated and folded can be stored and carried.
Unfortunately, such inflatable keel-forming spacers suffer from a drawback that lies in the narrowness of the zone in which they are in contact with the floor. If the floor is insufficiently rigid, it can, over time, end up curving significantly in its central longitudinal region. Such a drawback might remain relatively insignificant with a floor made of wood or of a lightweight metal, regardless of whether it is made up of juxtaposed slats or of juxtaposed panels. However, the problem can arise more significantly with inflatable floors, i.e. floors formed by a flat chamber braced internally by ties and inflated under a relative high pressure.
Although the floor deforming to some extent does not jeopardize the capacities of the boat as regards both handling and safety, it does however appear highly desirable to prevent such deformation, or at least to minimize it so that it is no longer perceptible.